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Authors: M. C. Beaton
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over her ankle and raised the hem of her skirt. To Lord Augustus it appeared as if Penelope had deliberately raised her skirts to afford him a glimpse of tantalizing ankles.
Penelope was becoming increasingly aware of Lord Augustus as a man. Despite his air of frivolity and his impeccably tailored clothes, he was undoubtedly very strong and masculine. The firelight played on the strong muscles of his legs stretched out on the hearth. Hannah could have told Penelope that there was nothing more seductive than a man with good legs. Gentleman Jackson, the famous boxer, was hardly anAdonis, but no one talked about his face; all sighed over the beauty of his legs.
So across the fireplace, the very air between Lord Augustus and Penelope became charged with emotion. Lord Augustus was thinking that perhaps he might try to steal a kiss and see how she reacted.
The party eventually broke up when the coachman reminded them they would all have to set out as early as possible. Repairs on the coach were going on all night.
Lord Augustus quickly moved to Penelope’s side. ‘Would you care to take the air with me, Miss Wilkins, before retiring?’
‘Yes, I would,’ said Penelope candidly. ‘It is so very stuffy here. I will fetch my cloak.’
She went upstairs. Hannah followed her. ‘I am taking a little walk with Lord Augustus,’ said Penelope. ‘I am sure that is safe enough.’
Hannah hesitated, all hopes of making a match between the pair rushing back into her head. And yet, Penelope should not be unchaperoned.
‘What a good idea,’ exclaimed Hannah. ‘May I come with you?’
‘Of course,’ said Penelope, relieved at first at the prospect of having a chaperone, and then disappointed.
Lord Augustus quickly masked his disappointment when he found Hannah was to accompany them. They all walked out into the inn yard.
The wind was still blowing but it held a certain warmth, a hint of spring. Lord Augustus drewPenelope’s arm through his own. Penelope felt suddenly shy and tongue-tied and worried by the surge of emotions in her body caused by that pressure of his arm. Her knees were beginning to tremble and something seemed to have happened to her breath.
‘Hold hard!’ cried Hannah suddenly. ‘I thought I saw two men lurking by the gate!’
Lord Augustus released Penelope and darted forward. He looked up and down the road outside the inn-gate but could not see anyone. He turned back. ‘The wind is blowing through the trees at the side of the road and casting moving shadows, Miss Pym.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Hannah uneasily.
‘I am going indoors,’ said Penelope. ‘It is cold.’ And she hurried before them to the inn, afraid that Lord Augustus would take her arm again and cause all that sickening tumult in her body.
4
Lord! I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing!
Jonathan Swift
Hannah Pym felt she was getting spoiled. Although the breakfast hour was early, six o’clock, in fact, she had not expected Benjamin to sleep in. But he had not presented himself at her bedchamber door to carry her trunk, and she had had to ring for, and therefore tip, the waiter. There were the stage-coach passengers around the table when she went downstairs, but no footman.
When they rose to leave the inn and take their places in the now repaired coach, Hannah sent a waiter upstairs to rouse Benjamin from his bed in a cheap attic room. She then went out with the othersand climbed into the carriage. Lack of punctuality in servants Hannah regarded as a sin. When she had been housekeeper to Mr Clarence, no servant under her rule dared to lie abed. She cursed herself for her soft-hearted folly in taking on Benjamin. What need had she of a servant?
The waiter poked his head in the coach window and remarked laconically that there was ‘no sign of the fellow’.
‘Made a run for it,’ commented Mr Cato, shaking his head wisely. ‘Better check your goods, ma’am.’
‘No need for that,’ remarked Hannah
Penelope was becoming increasingly aware of Lord Augustus as a man. Despite his air of frivolity and his impeccably tailored clothes, he was undoubtedly very strong and masculine. The firelight played on the strong muscles of his legs stretched out on the hearth. Hannah could have told Penelope that there was nothing more seductive than a man with good legs. Gentleman Jackson, the famous boxer, was hardly anAdonis, but no one talked about his face; all sighed over the beauty of his legs.
So across the fireplace, the very air between Lord Augustus and Penelope became charged with emotion. Lord Augustus was thinking that perhaps he might try to steal a kiss and see how she reacted.
The party eventually broke up when the coachman reminded them they would all have to set out as early as possible. Repairs on the coach were going on all night.
Lord Augustus quickly moved to Penelope’s side. ‘Would you care to take the air with me, Miss Wilkins, before retiring?’
‘Yes, I would,’ said Penelope candidly. ‘It is so very stuffy here. I will fetch my cloak.’
She went upstairs. Hannah followed her. ‘I am taking a little walk with Lord Augustus,’ said Penelope. ‘I am sure that is safe enough.’
Hannah hesitated, all hopes of making a match between the pair rushing back into her head. And yet, Penelope should not be unchaperoned.
‘What a good idea,’ exclaimed Hannah. ‘May I come with you?’
‘Of course,’ said Penelope, relieved at first at the prospect of having a chaperone, and then disappointed.
Lord Augustus quickly masked his disappointment when he found Hannah was to accompany them. They all walked out into the inn yard.
The wind was still blowing but it held a certain warmth, a hint of spring. Lord Augustus drewPenelope’s arm through his own. Penelope felt suddenly shy and tongue-tied and worried by the surge of emotions in her body caused by that pressure of his arm. Her knees were beginning to tremble and something seemed to have happened to her breath.
‘Hold hard!’ cried Hannah suddenly. ‘I thought I saw two men lurking by the gate!’
Lord Augustus released Penelope and darted forward. He looked up and down the road outside the inn-gate but could not see anyone. He turned back. ‘The wind is blowing through the trees at the side of the road and casting moving shadows, Miss Pym.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Hannah uneasily.
‘I am going indoors,’ said Penelope. ‘It is cold.’ And she hurried before them to the inn, afraid that Lord Augustus would take her arm again and cause all that sickening tumult in her body.
4
Lord! I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing!
Jonathan Swift
Hannah Pym felt she was getting spoiled. Although the breakfast hour was early, six o’clock, in fact, she had not expected Benjamin to sleep in. But he had not presented himself at her bedchamber door to carry her trunk, and she had had to ring for, and therefore tip, the waiter. There were the stage-coach passengers around the table when she went downstairs, but no footman.
When they rose to leave the inn and take their places in the now repaired coach, Hannah sent a waiter upstairs to rouse Benjamin from his bed in a cheap attic room. She then went out with the othersand climbed into the carriage. Lack of punctuality in servants Hannah regarded as a sin. When she had been housekeeper to Mr Clarence, no servant under her rule dared to lie abed. She cursed herself for her soft-hearted folly in taking on Benjamin. What need had she of a servant?
The waiter poked his head in the coach window and remarked laconically that there was ‘no sign of the fellow’.
‘Made a run for it,’ commented Mr Cato, shaking his head wisely. ‘Better check your goods, ma’am.’
‘No need for that,’ remarked Hannah
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